How can you provide support and guidance to interaction design professionals after mentoring or coaching?

I think that you should lead by example and demonstrate the values and principles of effective interaction design. Serve as a role model for mentees by showcasing best practices, ethical conduct, and a commitment to excellence. Advocate for their professional development and recognition within the industry.

Setting clear expectations is foundational in UX mentoring, as it aligns the mentor-mentee relationship with specific goals and outcomes. This clarity fosters a focused learning environment where both parties understand their roles and responsibilities. Regularly scheduled check-ins and feedback sessions are crucial for tracking progress and ensuring the mentee can apply new insights to their work. By establishing these parameters, mentors can effectively guide mentees towards achieving competence and confidence in their UX design skills.

We generally mention UX/UI together, as if both are co-dependent. But it is important to know that both UX and UI are very different. UI design is like the physical body, its looks, the touch and feel of it. Once built, UI need not change much, just like our bodies after 20 years would not change much. On the other hand UX design is our soft skills. UX designs are never done. The life span of a UX design is as long as the product lives, just like our soft skills can be learnt and improved until we die irrespective of our age. Hence, for a product owner, UX shall be designed and built in-house as as a product designer, you are the closest person to who can empathize with your customer.

I think that you should lead by example and demonstrate the values and principles of effective interaction design. Serve as a role model for mentees by showcasing best practices, ethical conduct, and a commitment to excellence.

After mentoring or coaching interaction design professionals, provide ongoing support and guidance by setting clear expectations. Offer regular check-ins to assess progress and provide constructive feedback. Encourage open communication channels for questions and concerns. Provide resources for continued learning and growth. Establish goals and milestones to track development and offer assistance as needed.

Continue to provide constructive feedback on their work, share relevant articles, books, and tools, and facilitate connections with other professionals in the field for mentorship and collaboration.

Two things... 1. Try to use the current application if possible to understand the functionality and then relate it to requirements. 2. Be involved early on and follow updates such that one can stay abreast of development along the way and adapt accordingly

Stop asking us to add our perspective for your AI tool. I’m expensive. My perspective is not available to train your LLM. This is a dark pattern and you are especially preying on those who are out of work.

Asking questions softens the feedback and prompts reflection and deeper understanding. While working with our mentees at UX Tree, instead of pointing out what’s wrong - we ask questions that lead the designer to assess their choices critically. For example, rather than saying, “This button shouldn’t be here,” I might ask, “What was the thought process behind the placement of this button?” or “How does this button’s position serve our user’s journey?” When we frame feedback as questions, it encourages designers to think through their design decisions, understand the potential impact from various angles, and opens the door to alternative solutions they might not have considered.

I believe feedback should be a dialogue that helps the mentee grasp the broader impact and understand the ABCs of their design decisions. For instance, when my mentee is designing a website, our discussions often revolve around topics such as color psychology, how the color palette aligns with the brand, and whether it might impact the stimulation levels for neurodiverse individuals. I also encourage them to explore various perspectives through reading, as it can help them find their unique niche and style.

In my experience, when mentoring, I empower my mentees to make their own decisions when designing. Instead of just giving all the answers to their doubts, I encourage them to think critically and explore different options. After all, the best learning happens when they're actively engaged in the process. Trust me, nothing beats getting our hands dirty and diving into real-world projects. Even if it means starting small with personal projects or volunteering for design challenges, every bit of experience counts. And remember, it's okay to stumble along the way, that's how we learn and grow!?? As of resources, I suggest use treasure maps that suit ur learning style – articles, books, online courses, and podcasts to level up your skills.??

I would add that sharing the value of vulnerability and openness, and the art of knowing how to own the "no" answer is a foundational skill.

Mentoring in UX is not just about imparting knowledge, but also about fostering a culture of continuous learning and curiosity. By sharing experiences and resources, mentors can help mentees navigate the vast landscape of UX design. It's crucial to strike a balance between offering guidance and allowing mentees to forge their own path, which cultivates critical thinking and personal growth. Encouraging mentees to reflect on their experiences and apply their learnings in practical scenarios is essential for their development as independent UX professionals.

Share your experience via friendly bits of advice, books, and articles. Walk your mentees through your past projects that are relevant to the issue at hand. If you're coaching a whole team, try to know everyone personally. Focus and tailor your mentoring individually. This way you'll empower them, without scaring them that their methods are "wrong". They may be different but the outcome can be equally good. Always keep in mind you don't know everything, but you can help and fill in the gaps. Try to guide them to the best practices and level them up, instead of carving your insights in stone. Let them explore. Your experience should be a base guideline. You have to adjust when you're conveying it to them. Everyone is different.

Often, users struggle to articulate their needs in technical terms. They rely on their past experiences or examples from unrelated online interactions, which may not align with the current project. In such situations, it becomes crucial to exercise empathy and patience. As a UX mentor, I frequently emphasize the significance of asking a series of questions before proposing a solution or summarizing their understanding. I encourage my mentees to ask at least five questions to gain clarity on the issues at hand. This approach not only helps them better comprehend the user's perspective but also fosters active listening and understanding between both parties. Ultimately, it builds trust and strengthens the relationship.

A friend once said he updated his cv every 6 months, not to apply for new jobs. But to acknowledge to himself the progress he had made in that time. It is too easy for us to focus on the negatives.

Reflection is a critical component of the UX process, as it enables practitioners to iterate on their designs effectively. By incorporating reflection, UX professionals can better understand user feedback, refine their design thinking, and ensure that their solutions are user-centered. Encouraging reflection helps in creating a culture of continuous improvement and learning, which is vital in the ever-evolving field of interaction design. Setting SMART goals post-reflection ensures that insights lead to tangible outcomes, aligning personal growth with professional development.

One of the reasons that reflection is critical in this process is to contemplate your personal biases and how you can better detach these from the process in the future. It is harder than you think and it is a discipline that you need to actively practice in order to achieve the best possible outcome.

Encourage them to reflect on their experiences, successes, and failures. Reflection can help them learn from past experiences and improve their future performance.

It’s pivotal to strike efficient balance between reflection and action. Reflection helps to understand and reflect deeply upto internal & external effects of your preceding actions and helps greatly to alter your course of action and strategise well to make optimal use of various types of capacities at your disposal.

Celebrating achievements and milestones is a brilliant way to boost morale and encourage ongoing development. Make it a point to recognise both big and small wins. This not only validates their hard work but also reinforces positive behaviours and design choices. This approach boosts confidence and fosters a culture of continuous learning and professional growth.

Pausing to reflect and acknowledging achievements are crucial aspects of any learning activity. It's through this process that genuine learning occurs, allowing you to pinpoint strengths and areas for improvement. Finding a mentor and embracing feedback can require effort and courage, and it's vital to appreciate these qualities. Having been both mentor and mentee, I've discovered that mentoring is always a two way street, providing valuable insights regardless of your role. This mutual exchange is why I find mentoring so rewarding and fantastic for job satisfaction and career development.

Celebrate their achievements and milestones along the way. Recognizing their progress can boost morale and motivation. ..

Naturally people who are mentored often look up to their mentors, respect their opinions, and aspire to accomplish similar outcomes. As a mentor, take time out of your day to genuinely recognise and celebrate the achievements of a mentee (no matter how big or small) is a simple way to validate their efforts, and encourage their continued growth.

Acknowledge and celebrate the achievements and milestones of interaction design professionals. Recognize their progress and contributions, reinforcing positive behaviors and fostering a culture of appreciation and support.

After mentoring and coaching, I always let my clients know they can DM me anytime. When they do, I get back to them immediately because I truly love and care about them. I want to see them succeed and empower them to be successful. My business is all about relationships :)

In my experience if you don't maintain the relationship there is no opportunity for ongoing communication. When you continue to reach out to people you show them you are interested in their continued growth.

Post-mentorship relationships can be enriched through the use of innovative tools such as digital collaboration platforms, which facilitate ongoing communication and resource sharing. Encouraging the use of reflective journals or e-portfolios can also help mentees to continue their growth independently. Additionally, setting up periodic virtual meetups or webinars can sustain the mentor-mentee connection and provide continuous learning opportunities. These techniques foster a supportive network that extends beyond formal sessions, enhancing the UX community as a whole.

I have maintained relationships with those I mentored and those who have mentored me over 30 plus years. I've seen my prior interns go on to surpass me to become CEOs and SVPs, entrepreneurs, and others take different paths. Either way, our endorsements and contacts over the years have become a constant inspiration and a network that you can not put a price upon. You learn and they learn how to adapt. Each brings something new to the table with how careers progress and diverge but always change for better. I've seen what evolves to be a record of themes that emerge on how you manage, how you care, how you lead or influence. These become testimonials to truth. It is a legacy. Mentoring is not a short term thing but an investment in yourself.

Maintain ongoing communication and support beyond the formal mentoring or coaching period. Check in regularly to offer guidance, support, and encouragement as interaction designers navigate their career journey.

Put your mentor's ego aside and always accept if someone less experienced has a better or more efficient method or solution. Give them kudos, encourage them, and let them know they did something extraordinary. Mentoring can often be a two-way road. You can also learn a thing or two.

In the realm of UX, innovation often stems from the intersection of diverse disciplines. Encouraging interaction design professionals to explore fields like psychology, anthropology, and data science can provide them with fresh perspectives that enhance their design thinking. Additionally, staying abreast of emerging technologies such as AI, AR/VR, and voice user interfaces can offer new tools and methods for creating more intuitive and immersive user experiences.

Se practicó, objetivo e imparcial, tus comentarios deben ayudar a construir soluciones de valor y profesionales integrales, por lo que es importante validar la evolución del aprendiz y aportar desde la posición de mentor, facilitador o maestro según corresponda.

Para uma mentoria realmente produtiva, eu acredito que é essencial come?ar entendendo onde você está agora, o que já sabe fazer e o que espera estar fazendo ou conquistar ao final desse processo. Em seguida, estabelecer metas bem claras e definir um plano de a??o focado para ajudar a chegar lá.

Foster a supportive community or network where interaction designers can connect, share insights, and seek advice from peers and industry experts. Provide opportunities for continued learning and professional development, such as workshops, conferences, and networking events. Encourage interaction designers to seek mentorship or coaching from other experienced professionals to gain diverse perspectives and insights.